A group of human rights activists from Garissa have presented a petition to the county assembly calling for the house to investigate the executive arm over alleged ‘rampant corruption.’
The group also wants the executive grilled for overlooking public participation in key decisions among other grievances.
Addressing the press on Monday outside the Assembly after presenting the petition to the Assembly Clerk, Mohamed Santur, the group’s leader, Hassan Aden Gumo said that they have decided to take the move after the governor ‘failed to address their issues.’
“We are humbly calling on the assembly to promote, facilitate and prioritize public participation of all key decisions undertaken by the county and also investigate and probe gross misappropriation of funds and rampant corruption at the county government of Garissa,” read part of the petition.
It further adds that “there is rampant corruption and lack of transparency and accountability in the county. There is deliberate disregard by the administration to address and curb the menace. It’s for this reason that we have decided to petition the house to look into this issues and have them addressed because they play the oversight role on behalf of the citizens,” Gumo said.
Gumo further dismissed allegations that are being advanced by some quarters that they are being used by some individuals to malign the county.
The activist said the group was speaking for the ‘voiceless in the society’.
“We want to make it very clear that this petition only seeks to guide, advance, facilitate and agitate for public participation in governance processes and in particular to give effect to the principles of public participation as provided in the constitution of Kenya,” he added.
“Public participation is a constitutional provision that the citizenry should be engaged and their priorities known before any tender or project is undertaken. But to our dismay we have never seen or come across public participation forum being conducted at the ward level or sub county or even at the headquarters,” Gumo said.
Abdihafith Bishar said that they will soon be writing another petition to the senate and promised to present ‘huge evidence that will show that we are not driven by malice but facts’.
On his part, the clerk said on receiving the petition, he will scrutinize it within 7 days and if it meets the threshold as per the standing orders of public petition act, he will forward it to the speaker.
“If it doesn’t then the petitioners will be called back and advised on areas to correct so that it confirms to the standing orders,” he said.
By Jacob Songok
